In Another Life

Summer Holiday

Standing in front of Malfoy Manor was daunting. The gates were massive, the manor was more like a castle, and there were hundreds of pure white peacocks scattered across the front lawn. Cassilynn had warned me that the manor would be quite a shock before I get used to it. I was also warned to not show kindness to the house elves in front of Roanna and Lucius by Orion and Cassilynn on the train. I was given the rundown of how I was expected to act while at the manor. I was also warned that Dad spent very little time outside of his room, so I shouldn't expect to see much of him unless we go to him. We were only allowed to go to him in extreme emergency, anything else we are expected to go to Narcissa.

"Welcome home."

I looked around confused, wondering where the voice had come from. Cassilynn nudged me a bit then pointed with her chin, instructing me to look down. There stood a house elf in a subservient pose and a half smile on its face. I tried to stifle a smile towards the creature, I wanted nothing more than to be kind to the poor things. Having met Dobby briefly and seeing how working for the Malfoy family affected him psychologically, I wanted nothing more than to show them that not all wizarding families were like that.

"Come along children, let's go get you all settled in your rooms." Narcissa's honey sweet motherly voice rang out from behind us.

Narcissa had picked us up from the station, no sign of Lucius in sight. Several house elves came out to meet us, coming up to us and taking our luggage. They all were extra careful, and almost fearful, of not touching our hands when taking our stuff from us. Narcissa held me back and told the elves with my stuff to wait for her, she was going to lead us to the room that is to be mine. Narcissa shooed everyone inside and once they were all inside and the doors bang closed, she came to stand right in front of me.

"Sweetheart, I would firstly like to apologise for the way my daughter has treated you this year. I had written to her about her behaviour, and I found her having zero remorse, even when she risked her brother's life as well, completely appalling. I know she believes the old ways of the purebloods. She is every bit her father's daughter. Yet, Draco, who would do and say anything, believe anything, to get his father's approval and love seems to have changed in ways. Since you had been petrified, he's looking towards his father less and less. I know he has been talking to your own father, asking him for advice. I see my son becoming who he used to be. Thank you."

"Mrs. Malfoy, please. I honestly had nothing to do with it. If you want to thank anyone, please, thank my father. I had no idea Draco was changing until a month before school ended."

"Still, I know how he decided to change. It was all because of a promise he made to Severus. Severus made him promise to do better than he did, to do right by you. Severus didn't want Draco to cause you the same pain as he had caused Lily."

"I didn't know that. All I knew is Draco was going to my father to ask him about stuff, to talk. That at some point mum came up, I didn't know that that conversation happened before Draco started meeting with my dad."

"Ah well, be that as it may, I still thank you. You my dear, are just as lovely as the children, save for Roanna, described. My husband, I fear, believes Roanna over the other three. So, I must warn you. Lucius isn't so tolerant of non-purebloods. I just want you to be prepared for any hurdles he may try to throw at you. He's already planned a ball in two weeks' time, to try and catch you off guard. He isn't telling anyone about it that might try to warn you."

With a curt nod shared between us, we went inside the manor. Looking around I felt almost out of place, but oddly at home. The interior was dark and glamorous. It was very clear they had money and made no qualms about flaunting it. Portraits lined the walls, busts made of marble were scattered about on pedestals, and just about everything aside from the paintings were monochromatic greys, blacks and whites, with heavier emphasis on the greys and blacks. Now Roanna and Draco's snobby attitudes made a lot more sense. They lived like the muggle Kings and Queens. They acted like they were above everyone because they quite literally are above everyone. They have to be at least the top one percent of the world, muggle and wizarding worlds alike.